Close Connections
by bluelily3
Summary: This story is set after "A Path Through the Stars". It is at Keroro and Mois's wedding reception. Aki finds her way to Kururu, and gets him alone.


Planet Keron  
Keroro Gunso and Angol Mois's Wedding Reception  
Evening

Aki Hinata forced her way through the crowd of dancing, laughing Keronians until she was out on a balcony. The night air was cooler than it was inside, but only by a few degrees. Planet Keron felt like a rainforest, and if Aki hadn't been transformed into a Keronian, the humid air would be too much for her. As it was, she was beginning to feel crowded and homesick. It had been two days since she landed on Keron with her Keronian friends and transformed family. She had loved every moment. The Keronians' culture was much like that of the Japanese. They were very polite and accommodating. She loved being in an alien body, and she was fascinated by the exotic food and the mysterious rituals. However, at the back of her mind, she kept thinking of the ride over here. The stars, the music, and Kururu. There had been a close kinship between them for years. She loved him as a friend and sometimes partner. But her Keronian heart had different plans. She was starting to fall in love with him.

She looked out at the foreign stars wheeling in the sky and thought about the socho. She hadn't seen much of him since they landed, and she missed his face. His fellow Keronians seemed to fear him; things he'd done in the past, the fact that he was "crazy"... but Aki didn't see those things in his face. He always had a smile for her, and she'd seen his eyes. Green like new leaves and full of secrets. She loved the mystery to him, and even if he was a bit villainous, Aki liked that too. She didn't pause to think about it all that much. She just knew that she wanted to be with him. She was "partied out" and some one-on-one time with someone might be nice. She could find one of her children, but that kind of company wasn't what she wanted right now. She suddenly remembered Kururu's kiss in the observatory. It had been soft and tasted like curry spices. Then, he'd had unusual confidence. Now, whenever she caught a glance at him, he would blush and turn away. Did he regret getting so close to her? Did he think that she was a mistake? Normally, she would be a bit angry to be ignored like this, but she knew that Kururu didn't work that way. He wasn't ignoring her on purpose, he just needed his space. It that respect, he was very much like the men of her species. Maybe he had been thinking about her as much as she'd been thinking about him. She knew that he had feelings for her; he'd made them clear more than once. Shaking her head, Aki cleared her mind. Then she planned two simple motives. Find Kururu. Get him alone.

Taking a deep breath, Aki made her way back inside. She ignored the stares and blushes from the other Keronians. Even in this form, she was an example of feminine maturity. She didn't have any breasts, since Keronians were amphibians and laid eggs, but her hips and belly were full and rounded. Her skin was the color of her hair, a deep, dark blue, and her eyes were big and wide. They were a rare grey-blue, something this species didn't see often. Her hair was short and edgy. It was usually tied up with a bandana, but tonight she was wearing a fancy crown-like headdress. They were popular with Keronian females. Dangling from her wrists and neck were decorations of silver and gold. She walked with grace and confidence, which was getting her hungry glances from the males. The females either admired her, or glared at her.  
Going through the crowd, Aki looked for someone familiar. She didn't want to ask a stranger where Kururu was. She tried that once already tonight, and the man had looked like he was ready to spit at her feet. She hadn't realized that he had so many enemies. That didn't deter her, though. She strode through the room with a purpose, and almost ran into Dororo. He was talking to a pretty ninja girl, who looked like she lived every day with passion. The two looked like a perfect match.  
"Oh! Aki-dono! Have you met Lulaku? She and I are togeth...hey, are you alright? You look a bit flustered." While Aki caught her breath, Dororo reluctantly excused himself from the lady ninja. She smiled and nodded sweetly. He took Aki to a quiet table in a corner. His calming presence relaxed her, and helped her get her thoughts in order.  
"Do you need a drink? This party is getting pretty crowded, isn't it? Keroro-kun has a lot of friends and admirers." Aki smiled.  
"And Mois-chan has a lot of family members. Big family members." Dororo laughed.  
"Yes, she does. Now, what is it you need, Aki-dono?"  
"Well...it's not really 'what' I need. It's more like 'who'." She blushed, and was grateful for her dark skin.  
"Ah." Dororo's eyes danced. "I wondered if something was going on. Kururu-kun, is it?" Aki blushed deeper and laughed.  
"Why, you don't miss a thing, do you Doro-chan?" Dororo winked at her.  
"Not much. I've seen the way he looks at you. Even if he seems to have the same expression all the time, he's not a robot. Take it from someone else who wears a mask. Like me, he has things to hide." Aki smiled knowingly, remembering how Kururu revealed his eyes to her. She had seen something inside that no one else cared to look at. Dororo saw her expression.  
"You two will be good for each other." Aki blinked. She wondered if he was clairvoyant.  
"Do you happen to know where he is, Doro-chan?" Her heart beat faster when Dororo nodded.  
"Of course. I can sense every member of my platoon in this room."  
"Really? Tell me." Aki leaned closer, intrigued.  
"Keroro-kun is on the dance floor with his lovely bride." Aki looked and saw the couple gliding on the polished wood. Mois was in her Keronian form (she was a natural shape-shifter) and they were looking at each other like no one else existed. Her heart leapt.  
"Tamama-kun is over by the champagne fountain..." They looked across the room, and both frowned at how defeated he looked.  
"Poor guy. I'm surprised he even came to the wedding at all." Dororo looked startled for a moment, and Aki smiled.  
"And you say I don't miss a thing. Between you and me though, I think Keroro-kun had a talk with Tamama-kun. That's why he's behaving. Now, let's see... ah. Giroro-kun is with Natsumi-dono." Aki smiled with she saw the warrior, awkwardly dancing with her daughter. Natsumi looked adorable in her Keronian form, and Aki thanked Kururu's science for giving them this chance at love. She wondered if Natsumi was starting to feel the way Aki felt. She trusted her daughter to make different choices with those feelings, though. Choices of a more innocent nature. Natsumi was young and inexperienced. Aki was not. She cleared her throat, becoming impatient.  
"And... Kuru-chan?" She whispered. Dororo nodded over his shoulder.  
"He's over there, talking to some officers. They look like they've had enough of him, though." The officers were heavily decorated, their ranks much higher than Kururu's. However, Aki knew that they had once been his colleges. Back when he had been a very young shosa. Now they looked like they despised him. She watched as one grew red with rage and stormed away. Another shoved Kururu hard, causing the drink he'd been holding to splash. Luckily, it had been a clear drink, so it didn't stain his uniform, which was white. Aki loved the Keronian army dress uniforms. They were pure white and crisp, and they wore billed caps and little white gloves. Their shoes were white as well, and polished up like pearls. Out of the Keroro platoon, Kururu's was the most impressive. Colorful medals blazed on his chest, and there were many of them. He wore the gold braids of an officer on his shoulders and around the rim of his cap.  
Aki stared at him as he casually brushed the liquid off his coat. She wondered if he drank the clear drink on purpose. It was almost like he knew that someone was going to spill it on him. He had found a bar towel, and was carefully going over each medal with it.  
"So...even as a socho, he's earned that many medals?" Aki was puzzled.  
"Oh, no. Those are all the medals he's earned as Shosa."  
"But, he got demoted..."  
"Yes, and stripped of his medals and title."  
"And he still...?"  
"He still wears them all, out of hubris. He's always been very proud of who he is."  
"That's admirable of him. And a little dangerous, it seems."  
"Pride can be very dangerous. But Kururu knows what he's doing." Dororo leaned back in his chair and eyed Aki.  
"He always does. Kururu Socho rarely makes a mistake." He said this last part quietly as he watched Aki. She had risen slowly from her chair as if entranced.  
"Now is your chance, Aki-dono. Don't take love for granted." He whispered. She nodded as if she barely heard him, and made her way slowly across the room.  
Kururu was next to a table that was brimming with food and drinks. He didn't look hungry. His mouth had tightened into a small frown, and his brow wrinkled under his cap. Standing a few feet away from him, Aki could tell that he had grown bored of the party, and he wished to be somewhere else. Maybe he was thinking about his lab at home, and how he could always retreat into that quiet world of metal, science, and flickering lights. She approached him slowly, knowing how he got distracted sometimes, and startled easily. She didn't touch him or say anything. She just appeared by his side, gazing at the food. He turned to her like he had made a discovery.  
"Aki." His voice was pleasantly surprised. He added no honorific to her name, not even her surname. In Japan as well as Keron, this was only done when someone was regarded as special to that person. She tried it herself.  
"Kururu." She had only ever called him "Kuru-chan", like she would a pet cat. "Chan" meant cute or childish. He made a soft sound, almost like an astonished laugh.  
"Are you enjoying a true Keronian marriage festival?"  
"Festival?" She arched a dark eyebrow. "Is that what it's called?"  
"Not really. I just liked the way it sounded. Ku, ku." She laughed with him.  
"Well, then yes. I have been enjoying this 'festival'".  
"Have been?" His lenses gleamed at her, and he bit into a cracker.  
"It's...getting a bit tiring. Too much, you know, noise and dancing. I guess I'm just what you would call 'partied-out'.  
"Why, Aki. I never would have pinned you for an introvert, like me."  
"Oh, I'm an extrovert, normally. I like socializing. But it's getting late." Kururu took a sip from his glass, now full again.  
"Ku... I was thinking of leaving, myself." He picked at a questionable piece of meat. It quivered strangely.  
"Eh?" His brow wrinkled at it.  
"What IS that?"  
"Only one way to find out." He took out a remote that resembled an iPod from underneath his cap. Then he touched a thin cord to the meat, identifying it. He shuddered.  
"What does it say?" Aki leaned closer to him.  
"It says it's orc meat. Ku! Who catered this thing?" Aki laughed as he tossed the quivering meat back on the table like he was afraid of it.  
"Let's get out of here." She smiled at him.  
"Where to?" He smiled back, and took another gulp from his glass. Aki took a deep breath.  
"My room?" She said. Kururu dropped the glass, shattering it. He covered his mouth and choked. He managed to swallow it, but his face was scarlet.  
"Your room? As in...your bed...room? Are you..." He broke off in a cough. A few Keronians stared for a moment, then shrugged. They were used to Kururu's antics. Then Aki saw Dororo, seated at the table with Lulaku. His blue eyes were on her and Kururu, and he winked one of them. She found her initiative, and, when Kururu had gathered his composure, she took him by the arm.  
"Come on, you. I've been trying to get you alone all evening." He stumbled after her, making astonished noises. Some people in the crowd laughed.

When they got to the elevator, everything was too quiet. Aki could hear Kururu breathing. It was quick and his cheeks were still flushed. He fidgeted with his white gloves. She let her eyes wander up and down the stiff fabric of his uniform. Her mind shot multiple signals to her body. She wanted to throw her arms around him, breathe his scent, kiss his moist lips. But he looked a bit panicked. She was starting to second-guess his feelings for her.  
"Aki..." His voice was soft and there was a quiver to it.  
"I uh... don't know if I... are you drunk, or something?" Suddenly she felt cheap.  
"What? No! Why would you...?" She broke off and turned from him. Her arms wrapped around her middle, and she suddenly felt vulnerable. Tears stung her eyes.  
"No, Kururu. I'm not drunk." Her tone was cold.  
"Then...you really meant that?" His voice was careful, like he was holding an eggshell.  
"You really want to go to your room...with me?" She turned and looked at him then.  
"Yes. With you. I want... to be with you." She moved close to him, inches from his face. She could smell his spices, and her lips longed to kiss his. Slowly, he brought his hand up to her hair, weaving his fingers in it. He pressed his face against hers.  
"I want to be with you too, Aki."

They flung the door open, falling over each other into the darkness. They had started to kiss in the elevator, and when they got to Aki's room, the kisses became frantic. She unfastened the brass buttons of his coat, trying to be careful. His hands were on her full hips, and he was pressing himself against her. He moaned as he kissed her, and she opened her lips. When she felt his tongue, she became feverish. This was what she wanted. HE was what she wanted. Her hands gently pushed him towards the edge of the bed. He stumbled and sat down, bringing her with him. She sat on his lap, and wrapped her dark legs around his waist. He shuddered and made a noise against her, his voice deep.  
"Aki..." He pulled away, whispering. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Aki got off of him, panting. She strode towards the door, and heard him take a sharp breath. She closed it firmly and locked it. Then she turned around, smiling at him. She heard his voice in the darkness, and there was relief in it.  
"Ku..." There was a soft thump as he lay back on the bed. Aki fumbled around near the nightstand until she found some candles. When they were lit, she came back over to the bed. Kururu's tie was loosened, and he had taken off his glasses. He was squinting through the candle light at her. She crawled to him and took his face in her hands.  
"I love you, Kururu." She whispered. He laughed, and his hands slid across her skin. They kissed again, and soon his tie, shirt and pants went sailing through the air.

Somewhere in the candle-lit glow, among the blankets, Aki found what she was looking for. She touched Kururu, and he responded like any man would. Even if he was alien to her, this was familiar territory. She wrapped herself around his body and moved until he was inside her. He arched his back and gasped, his hands clasped on her full hips. His eyes were still open, and the green was deep, almost black. As she moved on him, she reveled in the sensations of their slippery, soft skin. They glided effortlessly with each other, and soon she was gasping with him. After awhile, Kururu closed his eyes and clung to her, calling her name. The candles flickered and the sheets rustled, but neither of them took notice. They were forming a connection, one that would be hard to break. Kururu flipped her over effortlessly, and soon he was on her, in her, all through her. Her body arched to meet him, and he gave himself to her. There was no more awkwardness, no tension. Just the two of them, fusing together into a wholeness that neither one of them had ever felt before.

A long time later, Kururu lay limp on top of Aki, shuddering. His heart beat fast against her chest, and his hands were tangled in her hair. She stroked his brow, watching as it relaxed with the rest of his body. Just when she thought he was asleep, he pushed himself up on his elbows and pressed his forehead against hers. It was warm and damp. She put her arms around him, and her legs gripped his middle. The room was quiet. Then, very softly, she heard his voice. But he wasn't speaking. He was repeating something. She realized it was part of his own name. She felt waves of sound curling around her, encircling the room. Resonance. She opened her mouth and said her own name. Soon, she was resonating with him. The sound of their voices pulsed in the air, like something alive. Aki could feel the room growing warm, and the candles flared. Then she smelled something familiar. Spices. It was as if a window had been thrown open, and there was a herb garden outside. She became drowsy, and more relaxed then she'd been in years. They let their resonance create this warmth for awhile longer. Then they just lay together in the tangled sheets. Kururu touched her gently with his nimble fingers, and kissed her brow, her hair, her eyes. He was much more affectionate than she dreamed he'd be. She kissed him back, and traced her finger idly on his belly, following the spiral. He was warm and soft, and she felt like bursting with happiness. She felt Kururu's happiness too. He laughed softly, the "ku" sounding like a sleepy dove. After awhile he got up and dug around for something in his coat. Jumping back on the bed, he flopped his iPod down on the plush mattress and gently placed in ear bud in her ear. He selected a Peter Cetera album, and the soft sounds flooded through her. It was slow and romantic, and an American man sang about how he wanted to take forever tonight. In the next song, he sang with a woman, who's voice was deep and sultry. They proclaimed that the next time they fell in love, it would be with each other. Somewhere between the songs, Kururu put his glasses back on, but he pressed a button on the frame, and they became clear. They watched each other for awhile, then the music lulled them to sleep. The last thing Aki remembered of the night was resting her head against Kururu's warm belly, and how she could hear his soft breathing. Sleepily, she vowed to stay with him. They were connected now, the bonds tight and strong.


End file.
